Centralia at a glance
- Population: roughly 492 people; 272nd of 625 places in Kansas (Census Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- 2020 Census base: 484 people counted in the 2020 Census (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: about 1.7% growth over the 2020 Census base (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among Kansas places: 272nd by size among 625 communities (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: larger than about 56% of the Census places in Kansas (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: 39.7244, -96.1310 (US Census Bureau Gazetteer).
- Nearest larger cities: Seneca, KS (8 mi); Frankfort, KS (15 mi); Onaga, KS (16 mi); Sabetha, KS (22 mi); Pawnee City, NE (27 mi) — straight-line distances, US Census Bureau populations.
- Nearest smaller places: Vermillion, KS (7 mi); Corning, KS (7 mi); Goff, KS (11 mi) (US Census Bureau estimates).
What a personal loan costs in Centralia
Personal loans are closed-end installment debt, so the monthly payment and the payoff date are known from the start.
Judge an offer by its APR, which blends the interest rate with fees, and use the personal loan calculator to see the total cost.
A lender weighs your credit profile, income and debts when setting the rate, and a longer term lowers the payment at the cost of more interest overall.
A payment that strains the budget is a warning sign; a smaller loan or a little more saving time is the safer route.
Kansas lending rules that apply in Centralia
Every figure in the table below is sourced to a publisher with a date; where a state does not publish a number, we say so rather than estimate.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| UCCC consumer loan rate caps | 36% on first $860 of unpaid balance; 21% above $860 (closed-end consumer loans) Source says: "36% on the unpaid principal balance which is $860 or less, and 21% on the unpaid principal balance which exceeds $860". | Kansas Office of the State Bank Commissioner as of 2026-09-16 |
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 15% per annum (general contract-rate ceiling for written instruments) Source says: "may stipulate therein for interest receivable ... at a rate not to exceed 15% per annum unless otherwise specifically authorized by law". | Kansas Office of the Revisor of Statutes as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Permitted under license (payday cash advances of $500 or less; charge capped at 15%) Source says: "a licensed or supervised lender may charge an amount not to exceed 15% of the amount of the cash advance". | Kansas Office of the Revisor of Statutes as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Supervised lender license required (supervised loans) Source says: "Unless a person is exempt from licensing ... such person shall not engage in the business of: (a) Making supervised loans". | Kansas Office of the Revisor of Statutes as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | Kansas Office of the State Bank Commissioner (OSBC) Source says: "The Office of the State Bank Commissioner regulates all state-chartered banks, trust companies, mortgage businesses, supervised lenders, credit service organizations, earned wage access service providers, and money transmitters". | Kansas Office of the State Bank Commissioner as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Centralia
These steps are the ones that most affect the offer you receive in Centralia:
- Pull your free credit reports and dispute any error — it is the cheapest way to improve the rate you are offered.
- Run your figures through the personal loan calculator on this site so you know the payment before a lender quotes one.
- Pre-qualify with at least three lenders and compare the APR, not the interest rate.
- Check that the lender is licensed in Kansas using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.